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Addressing Issues That Affect Public Safety

Voting with your Eyes Open!

This blog is meant to yield information to Jacksonville Firefighters, their friends and ultimately to the public.

Please take the time and listen to IAFF General President Harold Schaitberger on why ELECTIONS MATTER! We cannot stress the importance for you, as voters, to not look at party affiliation as a single reason to vote for your representatives in Florida and Washington D.C. It is not hard to see the attacks that public employees have endured over the last several years and connect that to a culture of fear-mongering and pure philosophical opinions.

We, as firefighters, have seen an unprecedented increase in health issues during career service and after retirement that has yet to be fully studied or acknowledged by our representatives in Tallahassee and D.C. But, despite that knowledge, firefighters have always been honest, hard-working, and dedicated to the citizens that we serve.

Firefighters must know that when they put themselves in harm’s way, that the citizens they serve have their backs. This means paying firefighters a fair wage with affordable benefits, and a sound retirement plan. That is why voting collectively for our representatives is so crucial. It takes all of us to rally behind those that support us, regardless of party affiliation. We can quiet our foes politically by voting together before they do us and our families irreparable harm. Our foes think they have all the answers and they like to pontificate that they know what is the amount you should earn and the benefits that you should receive. Don’t leave that conversation one-sided! We must have allies in our elected officials and we must be a part of the conversation.

The elections that are coming up on November 4th 2014, and then in early 2015 are going to be pivotal to the firefighters of Jacksonville. Please take the time to VOTE with your eyes wide open!